WASHINGTON — If you think it’s hard to find parking in Bethesda, you must not know about a massive garage that regularly has hundreds of open spaces.
The Capital Crescent Garage, also called Garage 31, opened about seven months ago at the intersection of Woodmont and Bethesda avenues near Bethesda Row.
It has about 960 public parking spaces, and when WTOP visited the garage Friday afternoon, there were electronic signs at the entrances showing more than 600 spaces available.
Montgomery County Acting Transportation Director Al Roshdieh says it’s interesting when he visits Bethesda on weekends.
“Garage 57 that is right next door, or very close by on Bethesda Avenue, gets full. And this garage has plenty of space,” he says.
“I think people are unaware that there is a garage that is very convenient, very safe, very lit.”
Roshdieh says the garage has only been about 35 percent full lately, but that’s because it was designed for the demand to come 10 to 20 years from now.
“This will be the last major or fairly large garage that they’re going to be building ever in Bethesda,” Roshdieh says.
He says future development, including the Purple Line, was carefully considered before deciding how big the garage would be.
The Capital Crescent Garage is also the first county garage to have an electric vehicle charging system.
There are six spaces where people can park electric cars and charge them.
Roshdieh says similar charging systems are being added to 10 more garages and lots throughout the county, and he expects them to be in place by the end of September.
The cost to park at the Capital Crescent Garage is 80 cents an hour or $12 a day, but it’s free to park on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
